Which are the symptoms of liver shunts in yorkies? My 4 years yorkie changed his behaviour in the last year, his afraid of a lot of things, is agressive with other dogs and looks quite tired all the time. Can be because of a health problem?? I thought is because we have a baby and we moved in a new house. Thank u

Answer from Shanika Winters (online vet)

Thank you for your question about liver shunts and the changes to your dog’s behaviour. It is possible that moving home and a new baby have had an effect on your dog’s behaviour but the symptoms you have listed are also found in cases of liver shunts.

What is a liver shunt?

Porto systemic shunt (PSS) commonly called a liver shunt is a condition where the blood vessels of the liver are abnormal; it is seen in dogs and cats. Miniature schnauzers and Yorkshire terriers are two breeds in which PSS seem to be found more often. The liver is a large organ found in the abdomen (belly) which processes and filters the products absorbed after food has been digested. The liver also produces vitamins, blood clotting factors and bile.

The blood full of nutrient and bacteria from the digestive system normally passes to the liver in the hepatic portal vein (large blood vessel) in cases of PSS the blood bypasses the liver via one or several vessels either inside (intrahepatic) or outside (extra hepatic) of the liver. The result of the PSS is that bacteria, unprocessed chemicals including ammonia stay in the blood and travel around the body leading to behavioural changes and poor body condition….

I did and I still do! Being a vet is a brilliant job; every day is different. I get to work with great people and use the skills I worked hard to gain to help animals and solve their problems. However, it is also involves long hours, regular challenges, with both pets and people, and it can be very stressful.

The first hurdle to being a vet is actually getting into vet school and with an average of nine applicants for every place, it is one of the most competitive university courses there is. The standard of students is always extremely high and I know the selectors face a very difficult task in picking out those best suited for a career in veterinary medicine.

First and foremost, you must get the right grades at both GCSE and A Level. Without these you won’t even be considered and rightly so; academically the vet course is tough. However, as well as being a geek (!), you also need to have excellent people skills, good practical skills and, I believe, bags of common sense…..